Ligue 1 Promotion Playoff: Younoussa sends Rodez AF through to semifinals

Cameroon international Wilitty Younoussa scored less than three minutes after coming off the bench to give Rodez AF a 3-2 victory at Red Star FC and advance in the Ligue 1 promotion playoff.

The midfielder, who made his first two appearances for the Indomitable Lions in friendly matches played in June last year, picked the perfect time to score his first goal of the 2025-26 season. Ibrahima Balde was played into space on the right side of the Red Star penalty area and his low cross took a deflection towards the far post where Younoussa arrived for the decisive finish.

Rodez, based in the south of France, have never played in Ligue 1 but Younoussa’s goal has left RAF within two victories of an historic achievement. They will travel to face AS Saint-Étienne on Friday, where a victory will set up one final clash against the 16th place finishers on the Ligue 1 table which could be OGC Nice (the current occupants), Auxerre or Le Havre.

Balde, a former French U-17 international of Senegalese descent, opened the scoring for the visitors at the Stade Bauer after Kévin Cabral put Parisian club Red Star ahead inside fifteen minutes. Cabral then set up Josue Escartin to put the hosts ahead again shortly after the hour mark.

Younoussa, Rodez continue stunning push for Ligue 1 football

But an inspired effort from RAF left them as the victors when Mathis Magnin leveled before Younoussa’s goals arrived shortly after to complete a spectacular turnaround. The Tcholliré native from Cameroon’s North Region, who represented his nation at the 2017 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, became the hero with a crucial goal.

 

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Rodez are in spectacular form, having not lost a match since a shock Coupe de France exit at the hands of lower-tier club Canet Roussillon on November 29 last year. They snuck into the playoff reckoning with a 5th place finish and are attempting to ride the wave all the way to Ligue 1.